Department for Transport

Roads: Construction

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the combined impact of (1) the planned Oxford to Cambridge expressway, and (2) theirambition to build up to one million homes along the Oxford–Cambridge Arc, on the UK’s 2050 target to reduce carbon emissions by at least 80 per cent of 1990 levels; and whether this assessment is based on (a) electric, (b) petrol, or (c) diesel vehicles using the route.

baroness vere of norbiton: Highways England is in the process of identifying potential routes within the preferred corridor for the Oxford to Cambridge expressway for a non-statutory public consultation in the autumn. This work will include an assessment of environmental impacts, including carbon emissions using the Defra forecasts for emission rates. Conserving and enhancing the natural environment is at the heart of the growth ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. Any housing development in the Arc will be subject to assessments as appropriate in line with legal requirements.

Roads: Construction

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a cost-benefit analysis has been carried out for the planned Oxford to Cambridge expressway; and if so, what were the results of that analysis.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government published a strategic outline business case for the construction of the ‘missing link’ between Oxford and Milton Keynes in September 2018 (available on the Department for Transport website). This showed a benefit cost ratio of 1.2 or 1.3 for the preferred corridor B. Highways England is in the process of identifying potential routes within the preferred corridor which will enable a more thorough assessment of benefits and costs.

Roads: Construction

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the planned Oxford to Cambridge expressway on air quality affecting schools close to the proposed route options.

baroness vere of norbiton: Highways England is in the process of identifying potential routes within the preferred corridor for the Oxford to Cambridge expressway for a non-statutory public consultation in the autumn. This work will include an assessment of air quality impacts.

Railways: Greater Manchester

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reliability and punctuality of rail services through the Castlefield corridor operated by Northern and Trans-Pennine Express franchises; and what steps they will take to ensure that the service requirements set by the Department for Transport for trains through the Castlefield corridor are capable of being met given the limits of the infrastructure.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport works closely with Network Rail to ensure that services sought and proposed in franchise competitions fit with the infrastructure capacity. The capacity on the Castlefield Corridor has been under review as a result of recent performance issues, and work is ongoing to examine the service configuration to best meet passenger demand.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of GDP is represented by energy use; and what proportion of GDP is estimated to be represented by energy use by (1) 2030, (2) 2040, and (3) 2050, if their current climate change policies are enacted.

lord henley: UK expenditure on energy including imports was approximately £150bn (including taxes) or £113bn (excluding taxes, duties and levies) in 2017[1]. As a direct share, this is 5-7% of GDP depending on the inclusion of taxes, duties and levies. The Government is working to continue to improve energy efficiency across the economy in order to deliver affordable, clean and secure energy – the amount of energy used per unit of GDP has already fallen by 49% since 1990, and we are independently assessed as leading the G20 in cutting emissions while growing the economy since 2000. Our ambitious plans and policies to mitigate against the threat of climate change are set out in the Clean Growth Strategy. The Government publishes projections of the future volume of energy use based on current and planned policies under a range of sensitivities from now to 2035. The most recent projections can be found on Gov.uk.[1] Table 1.4 Digest of UK Energy Statistics (copy attached)



able 1.4 Digest of UK Energy Statistics
(Excel SpreadSheet, 1.67 MB)

British Steel: Loans

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the recent loan of£120 million to enable British Steel to meet its emissions trading compliance costs required a Ministerial direction.

lord henley: The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not issued any Ministerial Directions in respect of British Steel.This loan agreement was fully commercial and state aid compliant, valued at around £120m, under Section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982. Under the agreement the Government purchased emissions allowances on behalf of British Steel ensuring it met its 2018 ETS obligations. Failure to comply with its ETS obligations would have led to a fine of around £500m, on top of the costs of ETS compliance of around £120m.In return, under a deed of forfeiture, the company’s 2019 allowances will be assigned to the Government once issued, and the proceeds from selling these is expected to cover the costs of purchasing allowances for British Steel. The Government’s view is that the 2019 allowances will still be issued to British Steel in insolvency.The Government’s assessment is that the Deed of Forfeiture offered value for money to the taxpayer, with benefits exceeding the costs, predicated on the level of confidence around security, even in the event of insolvency.This position was supported by the independent Industrial Development Advisory Board which assessed the proposal in their statutory role and agreed with the Government’s value for money assessment.

Public Houses: Codes of Practice

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their invitation to contribute views and evidence to the statutory review on the Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator, published on 30 April,what additional activity, meetings and investigations they are undertaking as part of that review.

lord henley: In addition to responses to the invitation to contribute views, the review will be informed by the sources of evidence listed in its published Terms of Reference and by ongoing engagement with a broad range of stakeholders.

Climate Change

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theWritten Answer by Lord Henley on 17 April (HL15076), whether they will publish any advice they have received about solar radiation management (SRM) technologies having clear winners and losers; whether they will publish the reasons for their decision to cease research into SRM technologies;whether they intend to review that decision; and if so, when.

lord henley: Research into Solar Radiation Management (SRM) technologies was commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals; references are given in our published position statement, attached. We did not commission further research because the next logical step was to do similar studies with different climate models run by institutions in other countries. This has been taken forward by the World Climate Research Programme’s Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP), which has served to coordinate SRM simulations across international modelling groups. Results from this project indicate that there are still large uncertainties in the effectiveness of SRM and its potential wider impacts on the environment. This work is ongoing and the Government maintains an interest in its outputs.



SRM technologies statement
(Word Document, 21.23 KB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Saudi Arabia: Political Prisoners

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 29 May (HL15767),when they will assess the number of political detainees in Saudi Arabia; and what plans they have to review their policy of declining to intervene with the government of Saudi Arabia on allowing access tosuch detaineesby independent monitors.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We closely monitor political detainees in Saudi Arabia, including women’s rights defenders. We raise concerns regularly and freely, using a range of Ministerial and diplomatic channels, including our Ambassador and Embassy team in Riyadh. The Foreign Secretary raised the detention of women’s rights defenders during his visit to Saudi Arabia in March. The British Government cannot intervene in independent monitoring or investigation.

Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their strategy for promoting and protecting freedom of religion or belief as an objective of UK foreign policy.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to using our influence to defend Freedom of Religion or Belief as a universal human right which should be enjoyed by everyone. That is why the Prime Minister appointed me as her Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief. The UK regularly raises this topic through Ministers, our diplomatic network and at the Human Rights Council. In recent years we have seen reports of a particular rise in the persecution of Christians. The Foreign Secretary launched the independent review of FCO support for persecuted Christians on 30 January. The Review is led by the Bishop of Truro. It will map levels of persecution and discrimination against Christians around the world, and provide robust recommendations on how the FCO can respond. The Bishop has now submitted his interim report and will submit his final report in the Summer.

Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representation they will be sending to the United States Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, due to be held on 16to 18 July.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK will be represented at the US Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. The full list of representation is yet to be confirmed but I do plan to attend as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Persecution of Christians across the Globe Independent Review

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Bishop of Truro's Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians: Interim Report, published on 3 May.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary thanked the Bishop of Truro for the Interim Report published on 3 May and commented that the findings on the scale and severity of Christian persecution worldwide make for sobering reading. We now look forward to the final report in due course. Once the final report is published, an assessment of the Review will follow. This will enable the Review to maintain its independence.

Israel: Palestinians

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a UK representative will participate in the Peace to Prosperity economic workshop organised by the Kingdom of Bahrain in partnership with the United States on 25to 26 June, to discuss the potential for economic investments of a Middle East peace agreement.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has been invited to the economic workshop in Bahrain and we expect to participate. The UK’s longstanding position on the Middle East Peace Process is clear: we support a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees.

Ethiopia: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe political situation in Ethiopia, following recent bouts of inter-ethnic fighting and the ongoing tensions caused by rising ethnic nationalism inthat country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government is concerned about the violence and resultant displacement of people in a number of regions of Ethiopia. We are further concerned by the conditions of recent returns. Conflict and displacement present a real risk to the welcome reforms that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues to institute.I raised our concerns and offered assistance in my visits of October 2018 and March 2019. Our Ambassador and senior official have raised concerns with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Peace. DFID is currently supporting humanitarian agencies to respond to the needs of IDPs and host communities affected by this crisis, including through support to Ethiopia's humanitarian fund.

Qatar: Diplomatic Relations

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have called fordialogue to resolve the ongoing crisis between Qatar and the Arab Quartet countries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt which began in June 2017; and what steps they have taken to support the Gulf Cooperation Council in its efforts to resolve the crises.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to urge all sides to take steps to de-escalate and engage with Kuwaiti mediation efforts to find a resolution to the ongoing dispute. Substantive progress can only happen when all countries involved are willing to discuss demands that are measured and realistic. We remain firmly committed to our strategic partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and continue to make clear during engagements with Gulf partners that GCC unity matters to long-term regional security and stability.

Gulf States: Overseas Aid

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the overall spend on the Gulf Integrated Activity Fund in the 2018/19 financial year; which countries received support from that Fund; and how much each such state received in that period.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Overall spend from the Gulf Integrated Activity Fund in 2018/19 financial year was £17.08m. This is subject to final departmental audits. Many of the projects and programme activities are delivered regionally, so it is not possible to provide a breakdown by beneficiary state.

Gulf States: Overseas Aid

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the allocated budget for the Gulf Integrated Activity Fund for the 2019/20 financial year; and which countries will receive support from that Fund.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The allocated budget for the Gulf Integrated Activity Fund (IAF) for the 2019/20 financial year is £20m. The IAF will fund activity in all seven Gulf States including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.

Hassan Mushaima

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 29 April (HL15263), what independent verification they will make of the “categorical assurances” from the government of Bahrain regarding the lack of urgent medical care to Hassan Mushaima; and what assessment theyhave made of the protest by his son Ali Mushaima outside the Royal Windsor Horse Show 2019 calling for that government to give medical care to his father.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Our Embassy in Manama and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to monitor the case of Hassan Mushaima closely. We have raised the case of Mr Mushaima at senior levels with the Bahraini Government and continue to follow the case. We have received confirmation of Mr Mushaima’s recent medical appointments and assurances that Mr Mushaima will continue to have access to all necessary healthcare and medical treatment whilst in detention, as guaranteed by the Bahraini constitution.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Buildings

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what training and support exists for NHS Estate Managers with respect to managing and monitoring the competence of external facilities maintenance contractors in line with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the implications of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 for Facilities Maintenance contractors working in the NHS Estate are (1) disseminated, and (2) enforced; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of that (a) dissemination, and (b) enforcement.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what costs have been incurred by the NHS in respect of safety breaches by external facilities maintenance contractors in each of the last five years.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have held any recent discussions with the Health Estates and Facilities Management Association or the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estates Management in respect of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and their relevance to the management and control of external facilities maintenance contractors.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many accidents have occurred within the NHS Estate in each of the last five years involving, or caused by, external facilities maintenance contractors whilst carrying out maintenance work.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 apply to all National Health Service construction and design work and as such are implemented across all capital investment, including the responsibilities of specific professionals employed.NHS trusts will have local policy and procedures in place to manage external contractors including their competence.Dissemination of information related to the Act and enforcement of it are carried out by the Health and Safety Executive.No recent discussions have taken place with the Health Estates and Facilities Management Association or the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estates Management in respect of the Regulations.Data is not collected centrally on the costs have been incurred by the NHS in respect of safety breaches by external facilities maintenance contractors or the how many accidents have occurred within the NHS Estate in each of the last five years involving, or caused by, external facilities maintenance contractors whilst carrying out maintenance work.

Cancer

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were diagnosed with cancer in the last year for which records are available, broken down by (1) cancer type, and (2) Clinical Commissioning Group area.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Data is not collected in the format requested. However, tables showing a full breakdown of male and female cancer diagnoses by type and number at clinical commissioning group level in 2017, the last year for which records are available, is attached due to the size of the data.



HL16013_Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 64.97 KB)

Dairy Products

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many dairy producers in England and Wales were registered with the Food Standards Agency in (1) 2014, (2) 2015, (3) 2016, (4) 2017, (5) 2018, and (6) 2019.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: As at 1 April for each of the specified years, the number of milk production holdings registered by the Food Standards Agency is shown in the following table. DateNumber of Registered Milk Production Holdings1 April 201410,3621 April 20159,8661 April 20169,5851 April 20179,4441 April 20189,3561 April 20198,889

Rheumatology: Nurses

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of training opportunities for rheumatology specialist nurses in England.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: It is for local National Health Service organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local population to invest in post registration training for specialist skills and to deploy specialist nurses. The Nursing and Midwifery Council does not require a specific post-registration education programme to be undertaken in order for a Registered Nurse to become a Rheumatology Specialist Nurse.The Department is making significant investment in nurse training, putting in place a range of measures to increase nursing workforce supply and support recruitment, including additional clinical placement funding to make available 5,000 more nurse training places each year and introducing Nurse Degree and Nursing Associate apprentices.

Vaccination

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 22 May (HL15599 and 15600), which innovative vaccination schedules have been introduced following the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's advice, including when a dose has been removed from an established programme.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is the Government’s independent expert advisory body and its advice has always previously been followed.The United Kingdom frequently adopts innovative immunisation schedules and we regularly change the vaccine schedule following the advice of the JCVI.The JCVI advised that a two-dose schedule for the infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Prevenar13 is appropriate for the UK in place of the current three-dose schedule.The JCVI’s advice was given full consideration, taking into account the potential public health implications, such as impact on cases of pneumococcal disease, before a decision was made to implement it. The evidence shows that two doses will sustain the results we have already seen. The decision is based on the excellent effectiveness of the vaccine and years of high uptake, which has helped to provide protection to the rest of the population and has successfully controlled many types of pneumococcal disease in this country.We are confident that the world-class disease surveillance system we have in this country means our expert committee can closely monitor the impact of this change.

Pneumococcal Diseases: Vaccination

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 22 May (HL15599 and HL15600), what plans they have to carry out a formal public consultation before implementing a 1+1 vaccine schedule in the UK.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provides independent expert advice on the United Kingdom immunisation programme. It bases its recommendations on review of a wide range of scientific and other evidence, including from the published literature, and commissioned studies such as independent analyses of vaccine effectiveness and cost effectiveness. It can consult with stakeholders on its advice when it deems this necessary.Between January and April 2018, the JCVI undertook a focused stakeholder consultation on its proposed advice about a change to the UK’s childhood pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule. The JCVI is well placed to carry out stakeholder consultation to ensure the latest and most appropriate evidence has been considered on potential changes to scheduling within the vaccine programme, including identifying who to target to obtain the evidence it needs to inform its advice. It is the JCVI rather than the Government that is best placed to carry out consultation about scheduling within the vaccine programme and who to target the consultation at.

Learning Disability: Nurses

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government which universities in England and Wales provide undergraduate training places for learning disability nurses; and how many undergraduate training places for learning disability nurses will be available in each of those universities in each of the next three academic years.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Office for Students (OfS) published data on the names of the universities in England which offered pre-registration undergraduate learning disability nursing courses in 2018 /19. These universities are shown in the following table:Coventry UniversityUniversity of GreenwichUniversity of ChesterEdge Hill UniversityUniversity of HertfordshireThe University of CumbriaKingston UniversityUniversity of KeeleDe Montfort UniversityTeesside UniversityUniversity of NorthamptonUniversity of Northumbria at NewcastleThe University of East AngliaUniversity of the West of England, BristolUniversity of SalfordThe University of HuddersfieldUniversity of WolverhamptonSheffield Hallam UniversityThe University of HullBirmingham City UniversityUniversity of SunderlandSource: Published OfS Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey 2018/19Healthcare education, training and recruitment in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland is a matter for the devolved governments in each nation, and the Department does not hold information on this.The Department does not hold information on the numbers of training places for undergraduate learning disability nursing that are expected to be available at universities in future years.Universities are autonomous private institutions and are responsible for setting the number of training places they offer. It is for universities to work as part of their local health economy to secure training places.In August 2017, the Government changed the funding system for pre-registration undergraduate nurse training. The funding reforms unlocked the cap which constrained the number of pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health profession training places, meaning that we have moved away from centrally imposed number controls and financial limitations, creating a sustainable model for universities and the healthcare workforce supply.In support of the reforms, we announced additional clinical placement funding to make available 5,000 more nurse training places each year.

Shingles: Vaccination

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for encouraging people who are 60 years old and above who have not been vaccinated against shingles to receive a vaccination; and what steps they are taking to encourage the take-up of that vaccine amongst that cohort.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The National Shingles Vaccination Programme, implemented in September 2013 is provided by general practices. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommends the shingles vaccine for adults routinely at age 70 years with a phased catch up for those aged 71-79 years. The eligibility criteria change means that patients become eligible for the vaccine from their 70th and 78th birthdays, if not previously vaccinated, and can be offered the vaccine opportunistically all year round.In support of this change, Public Health England (PHE) has updated the communication materials for both patients and healthcare professionals to better identify those who are eligible and emphasise the benefits to patients from the shingles vaccination. This includes guidance for those individuals who have missed the opportunity to receive the vaccine previously but who remain eligible, up to their 80th birthday.

Infant Foods

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Baby Feeding Law Group UK Comfort milks, lactose-free infant milks and anti-reflux infant milks,published in May; and what steps they will take in response to it.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will meet the Baby Feeding Law Group UK to discuss their report Comfort milks, lactose-free infant milks and anti-reflux infant milks,published in May.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We welcome the report Comfort milks, lactose-free infant milks and anti-reflux infant milks which provides a valuable contribution to developing policy in this area.Departmental officials are planning to meet with the Baby Feeding Law Group UK shortly to discuss their report.

Pneumococcal Diseases: Vaccination

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 22 May (HL15599 and HL15600), whether they will place a copy of the Public Health England modelling on the estimated impact of revising the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule from 2+1 to 1+1 in England and Wales, presented at the 37th annual meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, in the Library of the House.

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 22 May (HL15599 and HL15600)and thePublic Health England modelling on the estimated impact of revising the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule from 2+1 to 1+1 in England and Wales, presented at the 37th annual meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, how many additional (1) invasive pneumococcal disease cases, (2) pneumococcal community acquired pneumonia cases, and (3) deaths, they predict as a result of a change to a 1+1 vaccine schedule over the next five years.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The modelling by Public Health England (PHE) on the estimated impact of revising the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule from 2+1 to 1+1 has been accepted for publication by Public Library of Science (PLoS) Medicine and is due to be published shortly. Release of the modelling data prior to its publication could prejudice publication.The poster Estimated impact of revising the 13-valent pneumococal conjugate vaccine schedule from 2+1 to 1+1 in England and Wales: a modelling study, presented by PHE at the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, provides context for the model on additional invasive pneumococcal disease cases, pneumococcal community acquired pneumonia cases and deaths. A copy of the poster is attached.More detail will be available once the published paper is available.



PHE_poster
(PDF Document, 571.54 KB)

Motor Sports: Tobacco

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sponsorship of the Ferrari and McLaren Formula One teams by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco; and whether (1) those sponsorships, and (2) related branding displayed on cars due to be racing at the British Grand Prix, are in accordance with (a) EU, and (b) UK, laws on tobacco advertising.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: No such assessment has been made. The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 bans the advertising of tobacco products and sponsorship that has the purpose or effect of promoting tobacco products. We expect tobacco companies to comply with these restrictions.

Department for International Development

Slavery

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 29 May (HL15755), whether they are including religion as a baseline indicator of vulnerability to modern slavery and human trafficking, especially faith-targeted human trafficking; andwhethertheir AAWAZ II programme will include religion in its monitoring and evaluation.

baroness sugg: The AAWAZ II programme will target marginalised communities from a range of disadvantaged backgrounds, including those from religious minorities who are at risk from modern slavery and human trafficking. As part of AAWAZ II’s design, studies which assess factors of vulnerability to modern slavery have been commissioned. These studies will determine which indicators will be included in the programme’s monitoring and evaluation system.

Slavery: Females

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 29 May (HL15755), how they intend to help Christian women whose religion is the cause of their trafficking and enslavement when they "do not directly target specific sub groups of marginalised people e.g. Christian women".

baroness sugg: The UK Government is committed to tackling modern slavery in all its forms, whatever the cause. The UK Government’s approach to tackling modern slavery in Pakistan is to reduce the permissive environment through community-based activities and to strengthen legislative and policy frameworks for more effective protection of those affected. Our programmes aim to target the most marginalised groups of people who we know are vulnerable to modern slavery. This can include religious minorities, such as Christian and Hindu women.

Pakistan: Slavery

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the criteria used to determine which communities in Pakistan are "marginalised" and therefore vulnerable to human trafficking and modern slavery for the purposes of their foreign aid programmes.

baroness sugg: The UK Government ensures our development assistance targets the poorest and most marginalised people in Pakistan. DFID Pakistan’s targeting strategies are informed by context analysis and baseline assessments which seek to identify poor and marginalised communities, and target those most in need. DFID Pakistan is in the process of gathering information to determine which communities are most vulnerable to modern slavery to inform future interventions.

Libya: Undocumented Migrants

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the United Nations Refugee Agency statement of 19 May that refugees and migrants should not be brought back to detention camps in Libya becausethey lack food, water and medical care.

baroness sugg: We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Libya and the conditions in Libyan detention centres. The UK is clear that all parties to the conflict must commit to a ceasefire, ensure unconditional humanitarian access, and return to political talks. All parties to the conflict must do all they can to prevent any further loss of life, including by respecting their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, and engage with the UN and humanitarian community. This is essential to ensure aid can reach those in need and to allow for civilians, including refugees and migrants, to be immediately evacuated to safety. The UK has announced a contribution of £1 million to the UN Flash Appeal. This includes funding to the World Health Organisation to deliver life-saving medical care, and funding to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to improve humanitarian access for agencies on the ground. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released $2 million to provide life-saving assistance to civilians caught up in the fighting, including vulnerable migrants and refugees. The UK was the biggest donor to the CERF in 2018, providing £114.3 million. The Minister of State for the Middle East raised the plight of people in detention centres with the Libyan Deputy Minister last week.

Venezuela: Refugees

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they, and governments of other countries, are providing to Venezuelans seeking refuge in Colombia.

baroness sugg: The UK has committed a package of £6.5 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the most severe needs in Venezuela and the region, including funding the International Federation of the Red Cross in Colombia. The UK has provided a further £8 million to the World Bank’s Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) for Colombia, helping to unlock USD$750 million of concessional loans to support Colombia in continuing to host more than a million Venezuelans. DFID has had staff deployed in the region since last year and this package builds on our core support to the UN and Red Cross, operating since the early stages of the crisis. Other donors are also providing significant support through the UN, Red Cross and NGOs.

Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the forthcoming replenishment of theGlobal Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria could contribute to delivering on the UK'sfive-year national action plan on tackling antimicrobial resistance 2019–2024.

baroness sugg: A successful Sixth Replenishment of the Global Fund will be vital in addressing the spread of antimicrobial resistance, a growing health threat. The Global Fund works to roll out new antimicrobials and diagnostic tools, helping to treat 102,000 people for drug-resistant tuberculosis in 2017. It also reduces the need for antimicrobials by: supporting and strengthening health systems; preventing infection, for example by helping to distribute 197 million bed nets in 2017 to prevent malaria; and by supporting prompt diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Development Aid

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 30 May (HL15801),what was the outcome of discussions on the Funding Compact at ECOSOC in May; and what actionthey are takingas a result ofthat discussion.

baroness sugg: The UN Secretary General set out the purpose of the Funding Compact during his address to the May 2019 ECOSOC Operational Activities Segment (OAS), welcoming it as a means “to shift away from funding practices that fragment action by UN country teams.” While the content of the Funding Compact was discussed at ECOSOC, the Resolution summarising agreement on the matter is expected to be finalised later this month. The UK remains committed to the Secretary General’s reform agenda, of which the Funding Compact is a key component.

Humanitarian Aid: Minority Groups

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Wilton Park Statement on assisting religious minorities in humanitarian crises, published on 9 May.

baroness sugg: DFID has reviewed and assessed the Wilton Park Statement on assisting religious minorities in humanitarian crises. The Wilton Park Conference brought together and found common ground between an unprecedented gathering of human rights activists, humanitarian organisations, representatives of governments and international organisations and faith groups. The statement illustrates how the different approaches can be complimentary. Whilst clearly recognising that humanitarian responses have to be guided by the principles of impartiality and assistance provided on the basis of need alone, the statement provides guidance to assist humanitarian practitioners determine whether vulnerable groups and religious minorities are most at risk and how to encourage and facilitate the participation and partnership of local and national religious communities in determining specific needs of vulnerable religious minority individuals and communities.

Humanitarian Aid: Minority Groups

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement the recommendations set out in the Wilton Park Statement on assisting religious minorities in humanitarian crises, published on 9 May.

baroness sugg: DFID has reviewed and assessed the Wilton Park Statement on assisting religious minorities in humanitarian crises. Policy Teams will investigate how to incorporate the recommendations into their policy plans.

Department for Education

Free School Meals

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students receiving free school meals (1) are children of working parents, and (2) have also received food parcels from a food bank in the previous 12 months.

lord agnew of oulton: The information requested is not held centrally. To be eligible to receive free school meals (FSM), a pupil or their parent must be in receipt of any one of the following listed benefits and must make a claim to the school for FSM:Income SupportIncome-based Jobseeker’s AllowanceIncome-related Employment and Support AllowanceSupport under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act (1999)The guaranteed element of Pension CreditChild Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)Working Tax Credit run-on: paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax CreditUniversal Credit: if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get). We do not collect or hold data on the benefit which has qualified a pupil for FSM, therefore we are unable to identify those in receipt that may be in working households. We also do not collect any data on the number of pupils who may have received a food parcel from a food bank. The government believes there is a need for more robust statistics in order to better understand the trend in food insecurity. Building a better understanding of household food needs will help ensure we’re targeting support to those who need it most. This is why we have worked with food insecurity experts, the Office for National Statistics, and the Scottish Government to introduce a new set of food security questions in the Family Resources Survey from April 2019. This means that from spring 2021, we will be able to monitor the prevalence and severity of household food insecurity at a national level, and for specific groups to better understand the drivers of food insecurity and identify which groups are most at risk.

Adult Education

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that community adult learning providers are included alongside further education colleges in any future national adult education network, following the recommendation in the independent panel report to the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding.

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will support adult learning at entry level and pre-qualification level to help those who want to develop the skills and confidence to progress to higher level qualifications, as recommended in theindependent panel report to theReview of Post-18 Education and Funding.

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they (1) make, and (2) plan to make, available to adult learners who wish to study without the intention of obtaining a qualification.

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their strategy to reduce inequality in education; and how any strategy will include adult community learning providers who already provide support to disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

lord agnew of oulton: The independent panel’s report forms an important step in the government’s Review of Post-18 Education and Funding. The government will consider the panel’s recommendations carefully and engage with stakeholders before concluding the review at the Spending Review. The Adult Education Budget aims to provide adults with the skills and learning that they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or other learning. It enables flexible tailored programmes, which may or may not require a qualification, to be made available to help eligible adults to undertake in learning programmes, build their confidence and enhance their wellbeing. This includes community learning and funding to help learners overcome barriers to learning, such as financial hardship or learning difficulties or disabilities. The department is considering adult skills more widely in preparation for the upcoming Spending Review.

Design: Education

baroness bonham-carter of yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of students taking subjects linked to design at (1) primary, (2) secondary,and (3) tertiary level, in each year since 2009;and what steps they are taking to increase the uptake of those subjects.

lord agnew of oulton: The number and percentage of students taking design and technology (D&T) and art and design qualifications is set out in the attached tables.The government believes that both art and design and D&T are important subjects. All state maintained secondary schools must teach art and design and D&T to pupils aged 5-14. There is also a statutory entitlement for every pupil aged 14-16 to take D&T and an arts subject, if they wish to do so.Like maintained schools, academies must provide a broad and balanced curriculum. Ofsted’s new inspection arrangements, which will be introduced in September, place a renewed focus on schools ensuring all pupils receive a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum.The arts are an essential part of a broad and balanced education and high-quality arts education should not be the preserve of the elite, but the entitlement of every single child. Between 2016-20, we are spending almost £500 million on a range of arts and cultural education programmes.At primary school, data from the Teacher Voice Omnibus 2016 survey revealed that the average amount of time spent teaching art and design and D&T was broadly similar to the amount of time spent teaching history and geography. GCSE art and design remains a popular choice and 2019 Ofqual provisional GCSE data shows the proportion of pupils taking this subject has increased since 2018.The department has worked closely with organisations such as the James Dyson Foundation and Royal Academy of Engineering to strengthen the new D&T curriculum and GCSE. The new GCSE will be taken for the first time in summer 2019. To improve the quality of teaching D&T in schools, the department offers D&T graduates bursaries of up to £12,000 to enter the profession.Both art and design and D&T GCSEs count towards the progress and attainment 8 secondary accountability measures, which is the headline measure of secondary school performance.  



HL15985_table
(PDF Document, 128.63 KB)

Languages: GCSE

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the reduction in the number of pupils taking a modern language GCSE as a result of their school compressing Key Stage 3 into two years and making languages optional after the age of 13.

lord agnew of oulton: Languages are now compulsory at key stage 2, and since the introduction of the English Baccalaureate in 2010, language take-up at GCSE has increased from 40% to 46% last year. Ofqual’s recent provisional data for the summer 2019 exam series showed that overall entries to modern foreign languages (MFL) summer GCSE exams increased by 4% compared to last year.Under Ofsted’s new framework, which will be introduced in September, inspectors will be alert to signs of curriculum narrowing at key stage 3. If a school has a shortened key stage 3, inspectors will look to see that the school has made provisions to ensure that pupils still have the opportunity to study a broad range of subjects, commensurate with the national curriculum, in years 7-9.The department is supporting schools to increase the number of pupils taking GCSEs in languages through several programmes. These include the £4.8 million MFL pedagogy programme, an undergraduate digi-mentoring scheme, the £10 million Mandarin Excellence Programme, and targeted communications activity at key points in the school year to encourage pupils to study languages.

Foreign Students: Finance

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund undergraduates taking a third year abroad, currently funded under the Erasmus Plus programme, after 2020.

viscount younger of leckie: The government values international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of its vision for a global Britain. Irrespective of the outcome of Article 50 negotiations with the European Union, the government wants UK and European countries to continue to give young people and students the chance to benefit from each other’s world-leading universities post-exit.We are open to exploring participation in the Erasmus+ successor scheme (2021-27) though this will ultimately be subject to wider UK-EU negotiations on the future partnership. This is part of considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives.While Erasmus+ is the largest mobility programme in which the UK participates, evidence suggests that around half of UK higher education outward mobilities take place outside of the Erasmus+ programme. It is clear other EU countries strongly value and benefit from the UK participating in Erasmus+, and we can expect our world-leading higher education providers to continue their strong track record of partnering with overseas institutions in all eventualities.

Languages: Qualifications

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the level of difficulty in examinations and severe grading on the take-up of modern languages at GCSE and A-level.

lord agnew of oulton: Ofqual is the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Ofqual is conducting a comprehensive review of grading standards in GCSE French, German and Spanish to see if there is a compelling case for an adjustment to grading standards in these subjects. Ofqual’s review will consider statistical evidence, contextual data including trends in the numbers taking these subjects, and the quality of students’ work through looking at how GCSE grades relate to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Ofqual is also gathering the views of subject experts and other stakeholders. Ofqual is due to report on this work in the autumn.Ofqual has examined this issue in relation to grading standards in A level French, German and Spanish (and A level biology, chemistry and physics). Ofqual considered a significant body of evidence – published in 2018 in the form of 2 technical reports – and determined that there was not a compelling case to adjust grading standards in these qualifications. This can be found here and as attached:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inter-subject-comparability.



HL15995_report 
(PDF Document, 2.43 MB)

Overseas Students

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the British CouncilThe Shape of Global Higher Education, published on 1 May,what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK retains its pre-eminence in global higher education, particularly in the light of the increasingaccess to education systems in other countries for overseas students.

viscount younger of leckie: In March 2019, the Department for Education and the Department for International Trade published the International Education Strategy, which can be found here and is also attached: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth. Developed in co-operation with providers across the education sector, this strategy sets out an ambition to increase the value of our education exports to £35 billion per year, and to increase the number of international higher education students in the UK to 600,000 per year, both by 2030. The strategy also sets out actions to support the higher education sector to deliver on this ambition. These include the appointment of an international education champion to help build links with priority countries and unlock barriers to international exchange and partnership. In addition, the strategy sets out actions to ensure that international students have the best possible experience studying in the UK, and that doing this maximises their employment opportunities.The government will be working closely with institutions, Universities UK International and the British Council to develop partnerships, deliver trade missions, to provide forums to develop sustainable mutually beneficial transnational education programmes and to develop annual updates to the strategy. 



HL16026_pdf
(PDF Document, 1.4 MB)

Special Educational Needs

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government, followingthe announcement of new school places for special educational needs childrenon 11 March, how the Department for Education is working with local authorities to ensure that new schools are built where demand for places is highest.

lord agnew of oulton: Every child in this country, whatever their background, should have the opportunity to get a world class education, giving them knowledge and skills that set them up for life. This includes children with special educational needs and disabilities. To help achieve this ambition, the department has opened 34 new special free schools through the free schools programme, with a further 91 approved to open in the future.The department’s experience of opening special free schools has shown that the commitment from local authorities is important so that new schools compliment the local education offer and are a close match for what families need. That is why in the recent round, we asked local authorities to set out their case for why a new special free school would benefit their area, including how the new school would help them manage their high needs budget.This process does not replace the free school presumption process and does not replace a local authority’s duty to secure sufficient appropriate education for children and young people.If there is significant basic need in an area, the local authority should decide whether a free school presumption competition is needed and if so, they must seek proposals to establish a free school through the presumption process.

Ministry of Justice

Woodhill Prison: Prison Officers

lord ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the appearance before an employment tribunal of Prison Officer Ben Plaistow of HMP Woodhill.

lord keen of elie: We strongly condemn homophobia, or any other kind of discrimination, in our prisons. As a result of the issues raised in and by the Tribunal a formal internal investigation is underway. This is being undertaken by a senior manager outside the prisons line management chain. Once that has concluded the interim Director General of HM Prisons will consider what action, including potentially disciplinary action, may be appropriate.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: USA

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the United States.

viscount younger of leckie: The UK is committed to negotiating an ambitious free trade agreement with the United States as soon as we have left the European Union. The President and Prime Minister have made clear on a number of occasions their shared commitment to an ambitious, wide-ranging free trade deal that reflects the strength of our bilateral relationship. We welcome the publication by the US Administration of their negotiating objectives for a free trade agreement with the UK as well as the President’s positive public comments during the recent state visit. Although we cannot enter into negotiations with the US until we leave the EU, there is still much that we can do to lay the groundwork for an ambitious deal. This includes: Completing our domestic UK processes so that we are ready to start negotiations; Continuing our conversations with the Office of the US Trade Representative to prepare for live negotiations. These conversations are well advanced, including through the UK/US Trade and Investment Working Group, which has now met five times since it was established in July 2017. The most recent Working Group in November 2018 involved over 100 officials on each side. In parallel, work has taken place between our governments to ensure continuity of trade with the US, notably the UK-US Mutual Recognition Agreement, the UK-US ‘Open Skies’ Air Services Arrangement, and Wine and Spirits Agreements signed in recent months.

Trade Agreements: USA

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include inany post-Brexit trade deal between the UKand the United States provisions to help retain control of regulation of UK public services, including the NHS.

viscount younger of leckie: Protecting the UK’s right to regulate is in the public interest and protecting public services, including the NHS, will be of the utmost importance when negotiating future trade agreements. Our position is definitive: the NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic. The government will ensure no trade agreements will ever be able to alter these fundamental facts. The UK’s public services are protected by specific exceptions and reservations in existing EU Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). As we leave the EU, the UK will continue to ensure that rigorous protections are included in all trade agreements to which it is party, whether transitioning existing EU FTAs or resulting from new negotiations. The government has been consistently clear that it is committed to negotiating an ambitious FTA with the US that maintains our high standards for businesses, workers and consumers.

Exports: Advisory Services

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to restore the one-to-one advisory service on language and culture, formerly available from UK Trade and Investment, to businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to increase exports.

viscount younger of leckie: We have no plans to deliver the service formerly available through UK Trade and Investment because we have made alternative arrangements. The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) regionally based international trade advisers ensure that companies they advise are aware of the importance of language and culture and, if needs are identified, they are brokered to private sector providers. Language and culture issues are also covered at regionally delivered events and DIT publishes nearly a hundred country guides on gov.uk that include cultural considerations in different countries.

Trade Barriers: China and USA

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the ongoing trade dispute between the United Statesand China has on (1) global GDP, and(2) the UK economy.

viscount younger of leckie: The UK remains concerned about the current trade tensions which could adversely affect growth in global GDP. The IMF recently estimated this to be in the order of -0.5% of global GDP in 2020. The UK is engaging with partners across the globe to seek a resolution. We are clear that nobody benefits from trade wars. The UK shares some of the US’s concerns with China’s trade practices and believes they should be addressed through structural reform in China and through multilateral cooperation, including ambitious reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The UK supports a global rules-based trade system. Any actions from either party must be WTO compliant.

Trade Agreements: Canada and South Africa

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure a post-Brexit trade deal with (1) South Africa, and (2) Canada.

viscount younger of leckie: The best way to secure continuity of our existing trade agreements with Canada and South Africa is to leave the EU with a negotiated settlement. Alongside the Withdrawal Agreement, the EU undertook to notify its treaty partners that the UK is treated as a Member State for the purposes of EU international agreements during the Implementation Period. Nevertheless, we continue to work on replicating the effects of existing trade agreements with Canada and the Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique partner countries, which includes South Africa. These discussions are on-going and we cannot give firm guarantees on their outcome before they have concluded.

Overseas Trade: Taiwan

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Taiwan about future trade relations between the two nations when the UK leaves the EU.

viscount younger of leckie: Taiwan is an important trading partner for the UK. Our bilateral trade was £6.6bn in 2018, an increase of 16.4% from 2017. UK exports to Taiwan grew by 40% from £1.96bn to £2.76bn (latest [ONS] data). As we leave the EU, we are committed to strengthening our trade partnership with Taiwan, and across Asia Pacific, including through the annual UK-Taiwan Trade Talks – due to take place in London in October. The Department of International Trade’s Ministers visited Taiwan twice last year, and events like the Taipei Smart Cities Summit and Expo held in March are a crucial way to strengthen relationships in key sectors.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Mayors: Elections

lord grocott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 27 May (HL15627), what was the cost of running each of the most recent eight mayoral elections.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Costs of elections of combined authority mayors are met by the combined authorities and this information is held locally. Certain combined authorities have also reported and published their running expenses for conducting elections in their General Fund Revenue Account Outturns and these are set out in the table below: Combined authorityYear of election£ (thousands)Cambridgeshire and Peterborough2017£1,151 (2017-18 return)Liverpool City Region2017£1,532 (2016-17 return) + £630 (2017-18 return) = £2,162Tees Valley2017£1,083 (2017-18 return)West Midlands2017£4,318 (2017-18 return)West of England2017£1,534 (2017-18 return) Link to the 17-18 data (attached):https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/787871/RO6_2017-18_data_by_LA_-_revised.xlsxLink to the 16-17 data (attached):https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659779/RO6_2016-17_data_by_LA.xlsx



16-17 data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 598.53 KB)




17-18 data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 538.67 KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Occupational Money Purchase Schemes

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to legislate to introduce collective defined contribution schemes by the end of 2019.

baroness buscombe: This Government has recently published a response to a Collective Defined Contribution schemes consultation setting out its plans, and has engaged extensively with key stakeholders.

Arcadia Group: Pensions

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ministers or officials have (1) written to, (2) had any meetings with, or (3) communicated in other forms with, Sir Philip Green, Lady Christina Green or the Pensions Regulator in connection with the Arcadia Group Pension Scheme.

baroness buscombe: Neither Ministers nor officials have written to, had meetings with, or communicated in other forms with Sir Philip Green or Lady Christina Green. Ministers and officials have quarterly meetings with the Pensions Regulator, but not specifically concerning Sir Philip Green or the Arcadia Group. This is because the Pensions Regulator is an independent body, and as such the Government cannot intervene or influence its actions. The Regulator also keeps DWP officials informed about its work in monitoring pension schemes.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Tree Planting

baroness young of old scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many trees they estimate were planted ineach of the last six quarters for which figures are availablein (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland; whether this is in line with their commitment to plant 11 million trees in this Parliament; and if not, what steps they will take to meet that target.

lord gardiner of kimble: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The Government remains committed to planting 11 million trees in this Parliament, 2017 to 2022. Woodland creation is a key activity of our 25 Year Environment Plan. The Forestry Commission routinely publish statistics on planting rates as part of their Corporate Performance Indicators. The published figures which report on new planting of woodland in England supported by the Countryside Stewardship, part of the Rural Development programme for England, are based on the area of grant claims approved for payment and are reproduced in the table below: Period (Quarter)Woodland Area (hectares)Tree NumbersJan - Mar 201969113,000Oct – Dec 2018227366,000July - Sept 2018477748,000April – June 2018245380,000Jan – March 201899159,000Oct – Dec 2017105181,000 Government’s support for this woodland creation has predominantly been from the Countryside Stewardship scheme. Further Government support has been through the Environment Agency and National Forest Company. In the Autumn Budget the Government announced an additional £60 million for tree planting initiatives, comprising £10 million to fund urban tree planting and £50 million for a Woodland Carbon Guarantee scheme. This will add to other new planting in the pipeline, supported by the High Speed 2 Woodland Fund, the Woodland Carbon Fund and Government’s kick start investment in the Northern Forest.

Home Office

National Security: Cross Border Cooperation

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government which aspects of the EU's internal security co-operation arrangements would the UK continue to be party to if the UK were to leave the EU without a deal; and what measures they plan to take to address any security issues that may arise following a no-deal Brexit.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government’s position remains that leaving with a deal, which includes ambitious internal security arrangements, is in the UK’s best interests. If we leave the EU without a deal, the UK would cease to have access to the EU’s internal security cooperation arrangements upon exit.The Home Office continues to work closely with operational partners to ensure readiness for a range of possible exit scenarios in October, including no deal. We are working with these partners to put in place contingency arrangements to transition our cooperation with EU Member States to non-EU channels in a no deal scenario. In the security and law enforcement space, this would include making more use of Interpol, Council of Europe Conventions and other forms of cooperation, such as bilateral channels.

Law and Order: Cross Border Cooperation

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what access they anticipate UK law enforcement agencies would have in the event of a no-deal Brexit to EU-wide databases, including the (1) Schengen-Information system II, (2) European Criminal Records Information System, and (3) DNA databases shared under the Prűm Convention.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government’s position remains that leaving with a deal, which includes ambitious internal security arrangements, is in the UK’s best interests. If we leave the EU without a deal, the UK would cease to have access to the EU’s law enforcement databases on exit – including the Schengen Information System II (SIS II) and the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS). It is worth noting that the UK is not yet live on Prüm DNA.The Home Office has been working with operational partners to put in place contingency arrangements to transition our cooperation with EU Member States to non-EU channels in a no deal scenario. We continue to work closely with operational partners to maintain readiness for a range of possible exit scenarios in October, including no deal.

Slavery

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reports of slavery-related offences have been made to competent authorities since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force, broken down by (1) month, and (2) the identity of first responder.

baroness williams of trafford: The National Crime Agency publishes statistics on referrals into the National Referral Mechanism on a quarterly basis. This report presents a summary of the number of potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2018 and is the final annual report in this format, prior to the transfer of the NRM to the new Home Office Single Competent Authority in April 2019 as part of a wide-reaching NRM Reform Programme.Further analysis is contained within the 2018 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery. These reports are available via the following links:https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/publications/282-national-referral-mechanism-statistics-end-of-year-summary-2018 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/749346/2018_UK_Annual_Report_on_Modern_Slavery.pdf



NCA - National Ref Mechanism Stats - 2018
(PDF Document, 648.85 KB)




UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery - 2018
(PDF Document, 2.23 MB)

Migrant Workers: Teachers

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include teachers of all modern languages in the Shortage Occupation List for immigration purposes.

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include professionally qualified linguists wishing to work as public service interpreters in the Shortage Occupations List for immigration purposes.

baroness williams of trafford: The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) is set based on advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Last July, the Government commissioned the MAC to undertake a full review of the current composition of the SOL. That review is now complete and was published on 29 May. The Government is grateful to the MAC for a comprehensive report, the content of which we are now considering.

Immigration Controls

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security impact of adding passengers from seven additional countries to the list of those able to use automated ePassport gates on arrival in the UK; what impact they anticipate these changes will have on waiting times for passengers at Heathrow Terminals 3 and 5; and what impact they anticipate abolishing paper landing cards will have on border security.

baroness williams of trafford: Keeping the UK’s border secure is our priority. The decisions to expand ePassport gate eligibility and remove the requirement to complete a landing card were taken after careful consideration and in consultation with security partners across Government.Landing cards were primarily used to collect statistics and not used for routine security checks. The Government remains reassured, on the basis of direct expert engagement, that this change will not impact on border security. The additional nationalities that can now benefit from use of the ePassport gates were identified as suitable based on a variety of factors, including immigration abuse, security, cooperation on border matters and prosperity.Analysis has shown that allowing these additional nationalities to use the ePassport gates provides them with more efficient entry into the UK, whilst not significantly increasing waiting times for existing ePassport gate users. The change will also significantly improve manned queue times, at certain ports and at certain times for other passengers.Both changes are being closely monitored to ensure that we understand and can adapt to any impact they may have, including on queue times.

Law and Order: Cross Border Cooperation

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what access UK law enforcement agencies will have to the EU tools currently assisting in the fight against international crime and terrorism in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government’s position remains that leaving with a deal, which includes ambitious internal security arrangements, is in the UK’s best interests. If we leave the EU without a deal, the UK would cease to have access to the EU’s law enforcement tools on exit.In respect of a possible no deal scenario, the Home Office has been working with operational partners to put in place contingency arrangements to transition our cooperation with EU Member States to non-EU channels. We continue to work closely with operational partners to maintain readiness for a range of possible exit scenarios in October, including no deal. However, much of our counter-terrorism cooperation with our European partners takes place outside EU structures and is not dependent on our membership.

Law and Order: Cross Border Cooperation

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what access UK law enforcement agencies will have to (1) the EU Passenger Name Record, (2) the European Arrest Warrant, (3) Europol, and (4) Eurojust, in the eventof a no-deal Brexit.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government’s position remains that leaving with a deal, which includes ambitious internal security arrangements, is in the UK’s best interests. If we leave the EU without a deal, the UK would cease to participate in or have access to the EU’s law enforcement measures and agencies on exit – including the Directive on use of Passenger Name Record data, the European Arrest Warrant, Europol, and Eurojust.In respect of a possible no deal scenario, the Home Office has been working with operational and other partners to put in place contingency arrangements to transition our cooperation to non-EU channels. We continue to work closely with partners to maintain readiness for a range of possible exit scenarios in October, including no deal.

Stop and Search

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase stop and search policing in the UK following the recent rise in knife crime.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has introduced a number of important reforms since 2010 to help make stop and search more targeted and intelligence-led. Stop and search is now more effective - the arrest rate is at a historic high (17%) and 30% of all stops lead to a positive outcome (arrest, summons / charged by post, Caution, Khat or Cannabis Warning, Penalty Notice for Disorder or community resolution).Stop and search is a vital policing tool when used correctly and officers have the Government's full support to use these powers in a way that is fair, lawful and effective.That is why the Government announced changes to make it easier for officers in seven force areas particularly affected by serious violence to use Section 60 “no suspicion” time-limited stop and search powers in anticipation of serious violence.The Metropolitan Police substantially increased their use of stop and search by 30% in 2018/19 (according to their own figures) and believe this has helped reduce homicides in London by 25%.

Treasury

Occupational Pensions: Tax Allowances

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government, according tothe data gathered by the HMRevenue and Customs Real Time Information programme, how many (1) women, and (2) men earning below the personal income tax threshold were contributing at work to a net pay pension scheme in the last three years; and whether they have estimates of these numbers for the current year.

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government, according tothe data gathered by the HMRevenue and CustomsReal Time Information programme, how many (1) women and (2) men earning below the personal income tax threshold were contributing at work to arelief at sourcepension scheme in the last three years; and whether they have estimates of these numbers for the current year.

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the data gathered by the HMRevenue and CustomsReal Time Information programme shows how many disabled people earning less than the personal tax threshold are currently contributing to a net pay pension scheme at work.

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimates they have of (1) how many higher rate taxpayers fail to claim higher rate tax relief, and (2) how much higher rate tax relief is unclaimed each year, in relief at source pensions.

lord young of cookham: HM Revenue and Customs can provide estimates of the number of women and men earning income below the personal allowance threshold who contribute to a net pay or a relief at source pension scheme over a three year period. These figures are set out in the table below.These figures are produced using HMRC’s Real Time Information data to identify taxpayers who contribute to relief at source and net pay pension schemes, which is then combined with the Survey of Personal Incomes to obtain information on income and gender. The most recent tax/year for which these estimates are available is 2016/17. Number of individuals earning below the Personal Allowance making workplace pension contributions into net pay and relief at source pension schemes (Figures are in thousands) 2014/152015/162016/17Net PayFemale8009001,000Male300300300Total1,1001,2001,300Relief at SourceFemale400500700Male300300400Total6009001,100Note: (1) Personal Allowances for the respective tax years: £10,000 in 2014/15, £10,600 in 2015/16 and £11,000 in 2016/17; (2) Figures are rounded to neared 100 thousand; (3) Figures by gender may not sum to total due to roundingSource: Real Time Information and Survey of Personal Income Data for 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17. There may be individuals who have both relief at source and net pay pension schemes. The relief at source pension schemes data only shows individuals who are part of an employer-sponsored or provided pension scheme. An estimate of the number of disabled people who earn less than the personal allowance and are contributing to a net pay pension scheme is not available. The relevant HM Revenue and Customs’ administrative data does not contain information on disability. An estimate for the number of taxpayers with relief at source pensions who fail to claim higher rate tax relief, and how much higher rate tax relief is unclaimed each year, is not available.

London Capital and Finance: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government why 12 months have been allowed for the completion of Dame Elizabeth Gloster's inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the collapse of investment firm London Capital & Finance and the Financial Conduct Authority’s supervision of the firm.

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role Dame Elizabeth Gloster played as counsel in cases arising out of (1) the insolvency of Barlow Clowes, and (2) the payment of compensation to investors in that firm's funds.

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the terms of reference for Dame Elizabeth Gloster's inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the collapse of investment firm London Capital & Finance and the Financial Conduct Authority’s supervision of the firm do not include the impact on affected savers.

lord young of cookham: On 23 May, the Treasury formally directed the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to launch an independent investigation into the events at London Capital & Finance (LCF), and approved the FCA’s appointment of Dame Elizabeth Gloster to lead it. The investigation will look at the events and circumstances surrounding the failure of LCF and whether, in its supervision of LCF, the FCA discharged its functions in a manner which enabled it to effectively fulfil its statutory objectives. Dame Elizabeth will be able to consider any other matters she deems relevant to the events set out in the Treasury’s direction to the FCA. Dame Elizabeth is an experienced barrister, leading QC and Judge at the High Court and Court of Appeal. The Treasury is satisfied that she will be able to lead a robust and independent investigation. The Treasury has stipulated that the investigation should be completed within 12 months, whilst allowing the investigator to report sooner than 12 months if this is feasible. This will ensure that the investigation is as thorough as possible and that the right lessons are learned to better protect those who invest their money in the future.

Bank Services: Internet

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto remain closely aligned to any new EU security regulations for online banking transactions after Brexit.

lord young of cookham: The Strong Customer Authentication Regulatory Technical Standards (“the SCA RTS”), which are intended to reduce fraud and increase payments security, came into force on 14 March 2018 in EU law. The majority of its provisions will apply from 14 September 2019, and will apply in full in the UK. The EU (Withdrawal) Act (“the Act”) will bring into UK law all directly applicated EU regulations which are operative at exit day, as defined by the Act, or at the end of the proposed Implementation Period if the withdrawal agreement reached between the Government and the EU is ratified. This includes operative Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS). The Act also permits ministers to make amendments which correct deficiencies in these regulations, if that is necessary to ensure they operate effectively in the UK.The Financial Regulators’ Powers (Technical Standards etc.) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018, made under the Act, delegated responsibility for fixing deficiencies in the SCA RTS to the FCA. Under the Electronic Money, Payment Services and Payment Systems (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018, the FCA is also the competent authority for the SCA RTS after EU Exit. The FCA consulted on its approach to the SCA RTS after the UK has left the EU (see CP18/44, published on 19 December 2018). It proposes to substantially maintain these technical standards in UK law, to support consumer protection and to provide firms with certainty and clarity about the systems they have been building.

Bank Services: Proof of Identity

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all existing banking customers must provide proof of identification to banks to check for possible money laundering; if so, under which regulations this policy was brought in; whether an impact assessment was carried out on the costs to customers, particularly those in rural areas, of any such requirements; and what estimate they have made of the total cost of any such policy.

lord young of cookham: The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 (‘the Regulations’) do not require banks to carry out customer due diligence – including identity checks—on all existing customers. The Regulations instead require banks to take a proportionate approach to applying customer due diligence checks commensurate with the risk of money laundering. The legal requirements on banks to carry out customer diligence for existing customers are set out in Regulations 27(8)(9) and 29(7). The Joint Money Laundering Steering Group’s guidance provides further detail on applying these requirements. The impact assessment for the transposition of the 4th EU Money Laundering Directive (which led to the most recent revision of the regulations) estimates the total cost of the changes made, while concluding that industry has difficulty in identifying costs caused by the money laundering regulations. This is particularly the case for customer due diligence as many of these are costs that a prudent business would take on in any case as a matter of commercial practice, to comply with UN or EU sanctions, or to protect themselves and their customers from fraud. The full impact assessment is available on gov.uk.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Music: Education

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of music education to creative industries in the UK.

lord ashton of hyde: In 2016, the creative industries employed 2 million people and made up 5% of the UK’s total GVA. Securing a strong and diverse intake of skills and talent is key to the sector's continued success and that is why Government is committed to ensuring children enjoy a broad curriculum, including music. Recognising the importance of music, the Government is spending £300m between 2016-20 on music education hubs alongside a range of other arts and cultural educational programmes. In January 2019, DfE announced an additional £1.33 million funding for music education hubs and that an independent panel would be working with Government to create a model music curriculum. Sir Peter Bazalgette's 2017 independent review of the creative industries concluded that social and informational barriers to entry are inhibiting the growth and greater productivity of the sector. That is why government is investing £2m seed funding for the industry-led Creative Careers Programme, aimed at raising awareness of employment opportunities and developing entry routes into the creative industries, including the music sector.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Parliamentary Estate: Burglary

lord empey: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  further to recent reports of a burglary on the Parliamentary Estate, what assessment he has made of the level of security provided on the Estate during recesses.

lord mcfall of alcluith: Following reports to the Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) of missing property in Millbank House during a long weekend/recess period a Police investigation is underway. There will be additional police and security patrols conducted during quieter periods, including weekends, to provide reassurance to occupants whilst the investigation is in progress. Additional measures may be taken based on the outcome of the ongoing investigation.